Well, the Les Mess Organizing Card Game is just the trick to help accomplish these oftentimes difficult tasks.

According to their website, “LES MESS, a fun interactive card game that teaches children how to clean up after themselves and manage their possessions.”

Les Mess recently sent me a deck of these cards to try out and my kids have had quite a bit of fun with these.

The game is set up so that your child draws a card and then does the task in the allotted time.  There are also “Bonus” cards that allow the child a free day or some other twist.  You can then set up the game to offer a prize or reward when the task is completed.

This game seems like a handy way to get your kids involved in tidying up his or her things as well helping out around the house.   Ideally they will then become a bit more aware of keeping things organized and develop a habit of picking up more often.

You’ve race around all day running errands, cooking, picking up and dropping the kids off. At the end of the day, you plop down in your bed – exhausted and feeling as if you did so much yet accomplished so little. Sound familiar?

A disorganized schedule can lead to stress, frustration, anxiety, and quarreling with loved ones. Fortunately, hope exists for those families with extremely busy schedules that usually leave a burden on Mom.

One of the easiest and fastest ways to take tasks off Mom’s hands is to assign those tasks to the children. This not only helps Mom in clearing her schedule, it is an extremely important means of teaching your children responsibility and domestic skills.

From the time that I could remember, it was almost an unspoken rule in my house that if my sister swept the floor, I’d have to mop it.
Likewise, if I did the laundry, she’d have to fold the clothes.

Nowadays the dishwasher automatically washes the dishes. But I remember growing up my sister and I traded dish washing nights. One night it was her turn to wash the dishes and the next night it was mine.

Until this day, I can not stand to see dishes in the sink for too long.
So the habits have even stayed with me through my adulthood.

Start teaching your children about chores at an early age to help them form the habit. Show them what and how you would like them to clean a certain area. You can start out by teaching them to clean their room.
Then move to bigger areas as the child gets older.

Remember that children are like sponges absorbing everything you do rather than everything you say. So be sure to leave enough housework for you to do. This way, they can see you doing something as well.

If you have teenagers, appoint them to run errands to the store or to pick up/drop off younger siblings. Teenagers will jump at any chance they get to drive. This not only teaches them to be independent, it makes them feel like you trust them.

Set up a reward system. However, use rewards carefully. You do not want to give your children the idea that cleaning and helping around the house is only done to get something in return. You know your child better than anyone and you know what works for him/her.

Make helping out fun for them. Crank up the music to their favorite CD or radio station. My sister and I would turn on the music on a Saturday morning and dance around the house while we dusted, swept, wiped, and cleaned the house. Now, some of my most relaxing and enjoyable time is spent while cleaning and singing my heart out to the world because it brings me back in time to those days.

While your kids won’t necessarily enjoy doing chores, I guarantee that they will thank you in adulthood. It will be difficult at first, but will be all worth the while.

You’ll be able to free more time for yourself while teaching your children lifelong skills and responsibility.

Sheila Zayas is president of Harmony Perfect Organizers, a professional organizing company based out of West Palm Beach, FL that specializes in helping families organize their schedules so they can live happier and fuller lives. She succeeded in helping a family in which the parents were on the verge of a divorce as a result of a disorganized schedule and lack of goals. Sheila is a speaker that addresses the topics of time management and document control. She can be reached at info@harmonyperfect.com or (561) 512-8771 .

Start to Declutter and organize your home today with Clutter Diet

Don’t be mad at cell phones, it’s not their fault they interrupt your dinners, movies and business meetings. It’s their owners that need to take a quick lesson on how to treat them.

With the advancements of today’s technology it seems like they are showing up everywhere and everyone, young and old, has a cell phone. Many people are confused on when and where are appropriate times for cell phone use. Here are a few courtesy ideas to show others before dialing those digits or answering those vibrations or rings.

If you are in an enclosed area, try to keep your voice down or keep off the phone altogether. Why should the person next to you have to listen to your conversation? Always be aware of your surroundings and consider that others may want some quiet time and find the details of your conversation interrupting.

Get in the habit of checking to see that your phone is turned off, on vibrate or silent mode before going into that sales pitch, classroom, restaurant or theater. Although everyone is aware of this rule, people continue to ignore it. If you forget to turn off your cell and it does ring, turn it off instantly. Act as quickly and discreetly as possible as not to disrupt others.

Keep your phone out of site while driving so you will not be tempted to pick it up and make a call. Do not risk your safety or other people’s safety on the road. Most conversations can wait until you have arrived at your destination. Even hands free phones are distracting. If it is a crucial call that just can’t wait, pull over at the next available stop before making it.

When on a cell phone, there is no need to talk any louder than you would on a regular land line. When signals cut in and out, shouting will not allow the person to better hear you. If the line is that bad, call back later or find a payphone.

Don’t come to rely too heavily on your cell. Although cell phones can be a real lifesaver, don’t get so attached to it that you freak out if you forget to take it along with you. Remember when you had to wait until you got home before you could check your messages?

Keep all calls concise and to the point. Not only can this help decrease your bill, but it eliminates your chances of becoming one of those people who talk on the phone while they are in the company of others. This conveys to others that you care more about talking to other people than you do with them. Never talk on the phone while someone is trying to take your order in a restaurant, verifying your hotel or plane reservation or while returning an item at the store. When at work, always attend to face-to-face business first and ask the one on the line to hold or call back later. Continuing to use the phone while nodding and signaling to the person in front of you is bad-mannered.

Some people, for whatever reasons, think using a cell phone is impressive, but it is so common now for everyone to own one. Eliminate phone calls that are solely made to showcase your cell. If a call must be made, politely excuse yourself and ask if your company minds holding on a moment.

Although most of us know these rules already, they are continually broken each day. Try to be more conscious of how you use your cell. These simple courtesies will make the people around you happier and keep your reputation as a mannered individual in tact.

Colette Robicheau is an Organizing Consultant and Coach and President of Organize Anything. Colette helps clients eliminate the clutter in the office, at home and mentally to allow for a clearer insight on how to build the life they want. Colette is the first Certified Professional Organizer – CD in Canada, an Accredited Staging Professional and a Certified Redesign Specialist. You can contact her at www.organizeanything.com or 902-233-1577.